Beaumont takes the safe option

By J A McGrath

6:10PM GMT 06 Feb 2002

AN uncertain weather forecast for the weekend has forced the hand of trainer Peter Beaumont, who is now resigned to running two of his best novice chasers against each other at Huntingdon today in preference to taking the chance that Haydock Park and Newbury will be raceable on Saturday.

Beaumont, who has the happy knack of regularly unearthing chasing talent, is set to saddle Hussard Collonges, top weight with 12st in today's Tote Bookmakers' Novice Handicap Chase, and highly-regarded Altapeter, who receives 10lb from his stablemate.

"It is not an ideal situation running two in the one race," Beaumont explained last night, "but Hussard Collonges (a possible SunAlliance Chase contender) was entered for Haydock, Newbury and Ayr on Saturday, and with the latter two courses, he would have had to have been setting off the day before. At Huntingdon, even though they are omitting two fences, we're guaranteed a run."

The going at Haydock is already heavy, and an extra 13mm of rain overnight has not done anything to improve prospects for racing. Kirkland Tellwright, the clerk of the course, said: "We are raceable at the moment."

Officials at Bangor-on-Dee have been forced to abandon Friday's card because of flooding.